When it comes to sex India still remains a fairly conservative society where it is considered taboo to talk about sex it is said that sex should be talked about only in a private space and that it is something that God does not approveHowever our Vedas and religious texts have a contrasting story to tell According to researchers sex was not only talked about in the Satyuga age but practised quite openly as well Here are some instances which are thought to have been part of that eraAccording to researchers there was a man called Dirghtama the son of Utthat who used to indulge in sexual acts with women in full public view in his castleNot only this history is also replete with instances about Maharaja Ranjit Singh who it is said really enjoyed having sex under the stars in front of other peopleNot only this a game called Ghatkanchuki was quite popular in that era where a few chosen men and women were asked to have sex in full public view as a source of entertainment for other peopleNot only this according to ancient religious books Shatrupa sage Vasishta s daughter apparently had physical relations with her father because she took him to be her husbandNaradi Muni the storyteller and musician Lord was apparently born after the great king Prajapati Daksh offered his daughter to Brahmadev Narada Munis father who then impregnated her with NaradaAccording to religious texts The Mahabharata says that if a woman desires to have sex then that wish should be fulfilled by a man If not then it would mean the end of the societyUlupi the daughter of Kouravya was the second amongst the 4 wives of Arjuna in the Mahabharata she had told Arjuna that it is okay for a man to spend the night with a woman just to fulfil her sexual desiresNot only this the Rig Veda too mentions a conversation between brothersister duo Yam and Yami Once when Yami wanted to get her sexual desire fulfilled she turned to YamHowever when Yam refused Yami got angry and said that a brother is of no use if he cant fulfil the desires of his sisterAccording to experts the Mahabharata also tells the tale of a region called Anga Desh in the eastern part of India where king Karan ruled here women and children were openly sold for sexNot only this In chapter 63 of Adiparva in Mahabharat it is said that Rishi Parashar and Satyavati Matsyangandha used to practice sex in the openAccording to the Mahabharata Kautbik sex used to be pretty common in those times where men and women had the liberty to chose whom they wanted to have sex withLord Indra was widely known to have relations with a lot of women and according to Hari bhavishya he even had sex with his great grandson s wife VapushtmaOnce Urvashi who was an apsara angel fell in love with Arjuna She openly asked Arjuna that she wanted him to fulfil her desires However Arjuna refused and Urvashi cursed him to become impotent for one yearAccording to religious texts sage Agatsya had given his daughter to King Vidarbha but later married his own daughter when she grew to be a fair ladyNot only this the Mahabharata also mentions that it is okay to have sex with multiple women and it is not to be considered as bad behaviourIt is also said that in the Mahabharata a woman could have sex with many men in order to fulfil her desire of having a male childNot only this as already mentioned sex was not a taboo in that age and both men and women were encouraged to explore their sexuality

The Arabic gangrape Taharrush phenomenon which sees women surrounded by groups of men in crowds and sexually assaulted is a barbaric practice Read on to know moreThe Arabic term taharrush roughly translates to collective harassmentIt refers to sexual assaults carried out by groups of men in public placesSurrounded by dozens of attackers lone women are groped or rapedThe phenomenon was first seen in 2011 when a reporter was attackedLara Logan endured an assault while reporting on the protests in EgyptPolice say attacks in Cologne in Germany marked Europes first instance of taharrushPost this incident police fear that such a practise will now spread to the whole of EuropeThe name of the practice translates to collective harassment and is carried out by large groups of men who sexually assault lone women either by groping or in some instances raping themThe men first surround their victim in circles Some then sexually assault her while others not directly involved watch or divert outsiders attention to what is occurringCBS reporter Lara Logan says that sometimes onlookers too are pulled over and rapedAnd the attack usually goes unpunished because the large number of perpetrators and chaos of the attack means authorities are unable to identify those involvedThere remains a debate about what defines taharrush some still insist it is a reference to flirting though scholars argue its definition changed after the attacks seen in Egypt from 2011 onwardsGerman authorities have stated this was the phenomenon seen in Cologne city centre on New Year when hundreds of women reported they were sexually assaultedThe practice is only carried out in public and almost always at demonstrations or large public gatherings where the attackers find safety in numbers and disorderSouth African reporter Lara Logan was set upon by a large group of men while reporting on celebrations in Tahrir Square Egypt in 2011Logan recounted her ordeal in Egypt several months later on a 60 Minutes broadcast describing how the baying crowd raped me with their handsThe 44yearold revealed terrifying details of the 40 minutelong February attack in Cairos Tahrir Square including how she became separated from members of her crew after someone in the frenzied 200strong crowd shouted Lets take her pants offShe said Suddenly before I even know whats happening I feel hands grabbing my breasts grabbing my crotch grabbing me from behind I mean and it s not one person and then it stops its like one person and another person and another personAnd I know Ray her colleague is right there and hes grabbing at me and screaming Lara hold onto me hold onto meExperts say the attacks reflect a misogynist ideology that blames women for leaving the house seeks to terrorize them out of public life and views sexual violence as a source of shame for the victim not the attacker

The first time I heard about Ramayan it struck to me like the most religiously correct legend And Lord Rama and Sita seemed the salient heroes of Tretayuga until I reread RamayanaRama was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Sita was the manifestation of Goddess Laxmi and so they were expected to lead a pious life and make some great sacrifices seeking in return the betterment of their peopleBut there were two individuals who regardless of their stature performed their duties silently suffering through pain and agony seeking nothing in return Laxmana and his wife UrmilaLaxman and his twin Shatrughan were born to King Dashratha and his wife Sumitra In Ramayana he was described as a close companion of his elder brother Lord RamaWhether it was during the 14 years of exile or fighting the epic battle against Ravana he stood like shield for his brother RamaAnd for Urmila you may not find many instances that described her life her perspective or agony in Valmiki s Ramayana She is known as the second first biological daughter of King Janaka and Queen Sunayana after SitaRead on to know why Laxmana and his wife Urmila gave the ultimate sacrifice in Ramayan which went unheard ofAfter Lord Rama and Sitas marriage was formalized their siblings too were married off with each other While Laxmana married Urmila Shatrughana married Shrutkirti and Bharat married MandaviWhen Lord Rama arrived in to break the news of his departure from Ayodhya Laxmana was taken aback Despite resistance from both Rama and Sita Laxmana pledged to stay by their side and complete the exile according to the wishes of Queen mother KaikeyiFor Laxmana the next most important task was to announce this decision to Urmila who was thrilled to know that like her sister Sita she too will get to accompany her husband Until Laxman told her otherwiseHe explained how it was her duty as a princess and daughterinlaw to take care of his parents and the people of their Kingdom who would be left grievingHe said As you know I am proceeding to the forest with the sole objective of serving Maa Sita and brother Rama I must spend my days and nights in steadfast service to them With you by my side I would also worry about your welfare which would hinder my service to my brother You must never be concerned that you are not present by my side Look after our parents and our people at Ayodhya after me To this Urmila showed great courage and perseverance to Laxmana Understanding the importance of serving Lord Rama to her husband Urmila extracted a promise from him that he would not even think about her during the course of exile for fourteen yearsExplaining about her request she said In the forest Rama will be your father and Sita your mother Your primary concern should be to serve them faithfully Hence forget all of us here She encouraged her husband throughout treading him to the path of righteousnessWe all remember and revere characters from Ramayana for their valor like Lord Rama Lakshman Bharata Shatrugna Hanuman Vali Sugreeva even as Kausalya Sumitra Kaikeyi Sita Mandodari Sabari but we never acknowledged UrmilaThey may have admirably fulfilled their assigned roles dutifully with a sacrificial intent but Urmila sacrificed everything for them allIn order to let her husband serve undisturbed for next 14 years she requested the Goddess of Sleep Nidra to bestow her with deep sleep on behalf of her husbandShe never enjoyed the luxuries of being a princess in Ayodhya neither blamed anyone for her miseries she did what she believed was rightSome ancient theories even say that when Laxmana arrived in her chamber to announce his decision Urmila was all dressed up in royal attire adored with precious jewels and the crownThis angered Laxmana who couldnt believe that in time like this when the entire Kingdom is mourning how could Urmila enjoy the royal charmEnraged he shouted saying You are worse than Kaikeyee You desire royal comfort more than the company of your husband I shall not consider you as my wife any longer our sacred bond is broken I go my way Urmilas duty was performed for she wanted her husband to wholeheartedly serve Rama and Sita and not think about her for even a moment She wanted him to hate her which she perfectly managedIn the process she made herself into a pious offering in the sacrificial fire of her affection for sister Sita fatherlike Lord Rama and beloved husband She lived the life of a hermit all fourteen yearsShe never spoke of this to anyone After their return to Ayodhya Sita sensed unusual tension amid Laxmana and Urmila so she asked her to explain it allAfter much persuasion from Sita Urmila explained everything to Sita who said Urmila Even a thousand Sitas cannot equal your glory I will speak to Lakshmana and seek an end to this agony Soon after Laxmana came to know of truth he realized his mistake and rushed to meet Urmila and just before he could apologize Goddess of Sleep Nidra arrived to remind Urmila of her promiseNot only Urmila lived like a hermit for 14 years she gave up royal life braved her husbands hatred and slept throughout 14 years just so her husband could serve his responsibility Complaining to no one and seeking nothing in return

Of the two legendary Indian mythologies Ramayan enjoys a priestly following amid Hindu community Surrounded by some startling facts including that it is written by once a dacoitturnedsage Valmiki and written partly on the basis of what Sita explained to him it makes Ramayan even more mystifyingThough we have seen several adaptations of Ramayan through television series and movies yet each time some newfound element leaves us bewildered One of them is the recently unfolded truth about the existence of Shanta Lord Rama s elder sister and King Dhashrath and Queen Kausalya s first bornThere have been quite a few instances when not every part of story of this epic mythology was put forth for the audience to see sometimes certain characters were kept in low limelight to highlight the importance of others Like that of Shanta King Dashrath s first born even the narration around her birth and abandonment were kept low until only recently a popular TV show hinted to unfold a mysterious character in epic RamayanThere s a reason why Lord Rama or the other children were never told about their elder sister Shanta and why Queen Kausalya detached emotionally from her husband Read on to unravel the answers It started with Dashrath s birth he was just 8monthsold when he lost both his parents He grew up under the care of great sage Marudanva went up to learn all shastra including archery He went up to being a strong warrior and a wise King of southern KosalaThe King of North Kosala had a beautiful daughter who was named Kausalya Dashratha intended to marry Kausalya so he asked her father for her hand in marriage Impressed by Dashrath s power and Kingdom ruling Kausalya s father agreed to marry off his daughter to DashrathKing Dashratha and Queen Kausalya were blessed by their first born a daughter who they named Shanta She was the epitome of poise peace and harmony She grew up to be a beautiful princess with qualities of a warrior But King Dashrath longed for a son to continue his reignHe married Sumitra and Kaikeyi with an intention to bear a son a ruling prince for Ayodhya But years went by and Ayodhya never received good news of their awaiting wish to see a princeWith guilt abiding within him King Dashrath visited Sage Vashishta to seek an answer to his miseries Vashishta told him about Sage Vibhandak whose strict penance to achieve great power scared Lord Indra Thus he ordered a celestial paramour Urvashi to intervene his yogic activityAs a result of which Sage Vibhandak got distracted and his alliance with Urvashi bore him a son Sage Rishyasringa Vibhandak pledged to raise his son alone in an isolated society with no mention of womenfolk or even their existenceKing Dashratha was informed that if only a woman with great power could manage to bring Rishyasringa into a family world then the Putrakameshti Yagya performed by him could bear the former sonsDashratha out of desperation and helplessness abandoned his daughter Shanta and asked her to bring Sage Rishyasringa She followed her father s order and despite Queen Kausalya s plea to stay back Shanta gave up princely life and went to live with RishyasringaSoon after King Dashratha asked Sage Rishyasringa to perform the Putrakameshti Yagya after which all three Queens Kausalya Sumitra and Kaikeyi were given Rishi Prasad Consumption of which bore them sons KausalyaRama SumitraLaxman and Shatrughan and KaikeyiBharatAccording to legend it was only Shanta whose great sacrifice bore King Dashrath his sons

Kashibai was the first wife of Bajirao I Notably Bajirao I was the most valorous and highly remembered Peshwa who was also highly influential with the Maratha chiefs Besides being a highly successful military general who never knew defeat Bajirao I was also the Prime Minister of Shahuji Bhonsle the fourth emperor of the Maratha Empire Kashibai is a highly interesting character and several facts about her remain uncovered so farIn total Kashibai bore Bajirao Peshwa three sons namely Nana Saheb Rahunath Rao and Janardhan Rao Nana Saheb was also called as Balaji Baji Rao who was made the Peshwa by Shahu in 1740 Rahunath Rao became the Peshwa a few years later The youngest son Janardhan Rao died very youngKashibai was greatly loved by Bajirao I Also she was greatly devoted to her husband Meanwhile Bajirao I fell in love with a Muslim girl Mastani who was the daughter of Ruhaani Bai a court dancer and the King of Chhatrasal During a time of crisis under some external invasion Bajirao helped Mastani s father and saved his kingdom In return to his help the Maharaja of Chhatrasal gave Mastani in marriage to him After Mastani joined the family Kashibai started having a troubled time due to several causes within the family though Bajirao never gave her any lesser importance or loveKashibai never had any malice against Mastani However Mastani received a highly unfair treatment from her mother in law Radhabai who never liked her son marrying a Muslim girl Together with some family members Radhabai tried to ignite the heart of Kashibai with enmity for Mastani When her son died young and Mastani s son lived healthily Kashibai grew jealous of Mastani There are some unproved accounts that say Kashibai treid to put an end to Mastani s lifeJust a month before Kashibai gave birth to her third son Janardhan Rao Mastani gave birth to her first and only son named Krishna Rao Though initially Mastani s son was named as per the Hindu tradition he was eventually renamed as Shamsher Bahadur by the family members of Bajirao I to maintain his Muslim identity and not allowing him to be recognized inside the Hindu community In fact Bajirao wanted him to be raised as a Hindu which was never realized much against his wishesBajirao s mother and son Balaji Bajirao were hostile with Mastani and always intended to deport her from the family However Bajirao managed the situation by building a separate palace for Mastani known as Mastani Mahal When Bajirao was away Balaji Bajirao kept Mastani in house arrest for some time The blames of illtreatment and murder attempts that befell Mastani were always attributed to Kashibai though often she has been proved innocent Despite his best efforts Bajirao could never succeed in bringing both of them together due to family circumstancesBajirao I died of fever in Delhi when he was with a troop of more than a lakh soldiers Mastani and Kashibai visited the place of his death and attended the funeral It is said Mastani ended her life there either by entering the pyre or consuming poison Upon Mastani s death Kashibai adopted her son Shamsher Bahadur who was just six years old during that time and fostered him along with her own sonsA renowned Maratha ruler of the Banda domain in North India Shamsher Bahadur is often a topic of interest on account of his controversial birth Often considered as a victim of discrimination and unfair treatment this hero endured a lot of difficulties in his life while proving loyal to the Maratha Empire to which his father served as the PeshwaShamsher Bahadur was the son of Bajirao I the ninth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire and his second wife Mastani Mastani was a Muslim girl and the daughter of the King of Chhatrasal and Ruhaani Bai a court dancer Since Bajirao I fell in love with Mastani she was gifted to him in marriage by her father in return to Bajirao s help during a military expedition Around the same time when Mastani conceived Shamsher Bahadur Bajirao s first wife Kashibai also conceived her third son Jagannath Rao who died very youngBajorao wanted his son Shamsher Bahadur to be brought up as a Hindu At birth he was named Krishna Rao However Bajirao s mother Radhabai was always hostile to Mastani and her child and therefore wished to maintain the boy s Muslim identity Due to this she renamed him as Shamsher Bahadur He was never accepted into the portals of the Hindu family and therefore was subjected to discriminatory treatment from the eldersKashibai and Mastani had to live in the same palace initially The growing hostility between Mastani and the family members of Peshwa posed a severe threat to her life Therefore Bajirao made a separate palace for her in the campus However in the absence of Peshwa Mastani was house arrested Due to several conspiracies and murder attempts on his mother going on in the palace Shamsher Bahadur s childhood remained very unhappy and disturbedBajirao I died in the year 1740 near Delhi Both Mastani the mother of Shamsher Bahadur and Kashibai attended the last rites Mastani either plunged into the pyre of her husband or consumed poison and succumbed to death following the Peshwa Shamsher Bahadur an orphaned child at the age of six was then fostered by Kashibai along with her own sonsThough the Maratha chiefs and nobles were never ready to accept Mastani as the legitimate wife of the Peshwa Shamsher Bahadur did not have any difficulties in growing with the other sons of the Peshwa after the death of his parents He learnt administration and warfare along with his half brothers Balaji Baji Rao and RaghunathraoShamsher Bahadur was given a portion of his father s dominion namely Banda and Kalpi to rule over In the year 1761 he participated in the third battle of Panipat along with Peshwa Balaji Bajirao against the Afghans He and his brother Balaji Bajirao were killed in the battle Throughout his life Shamsher Bahadur remained loyal to the Maratha throne despite the differences fostered by themShamsher Bahadur was succeeded by his Ali Bahadur who conquered a significant portion of Bundelkhand and crowned himself as the Nawab of Banda Ali Bahadur was in turn succeeded by Shamsher Bahadur II who participated in the AngloMaratha War of 1803Balaji Baji Rao was one of the most renowned Peshwas of the Maratha Empire who was well remembered in the history for his phenomenal achievements that are multifarious in nature Besides military achievements and able support rendered to the empire in expansion and administration he has also recorded a notable contribution to the development of the Maratha Empire in several waysBalaji Bajirao was the eldest son of Bajirao I who was the ninth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire and his mother s name was Kasibai Balaji Bajirao s birth happened on 8th December 1721 His original name was Nana Saheb Right from his birth he was valiant and heroic and followed the footsteps of his father in chiselling himself as an able administrator and warrior His younger brother was Raghunath Rao and he too had another brother Jagannath Rao who died very youngDuring his death Chatrapati Shahu appointed Balaji Baji Rao as the Peshwa in 1740 upon his father s death Taking up the role of Peshwa of a mighty empire at the very young age of 19 Balaji proved worthy of his responsibility During his period the Maratha Empire stretched far and wide crossing Peshawar the present PakistanBalaji Bajirao received all his training from his father Bajirao I who was courageous as well as genius However Balaji Baji Rao could not prove an equal to his father both as the Peshwa and military leader He lacked the dash and military genius possessed by his father Often he tended to reconcile with enemies and others very easily that went into underestimate his statureThe treaty with Jai Singh the ruler of Malwa made the crown prince Ahmed the subedar of the region and Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao his deputy The grant enacted in 14th July 1741 legalized the Maratha conquest of Malwa To suppress the opposition Balaji Bajirao permitted Raghuji to enjoy a free hand over the regions of Bengal Bihar and Orissa in return to an annual Chauth of twelve lakh rupees The Marathas did not create any civil administration in these regions These instances prove Balaji Baji Rao s reconciliatory nature rather than a decisive and brave roleThere was a faction in the court against Peshwa Balaji Bajirao Bitter complaints about him reached the king and the Peshwa had to resign in 1747 However since his presence int he court was found indispensable and therefore he was reappointed very soonBalaji Baji Rao was the one who transformed a small village into a large city of Pune He is well noted for his accomplishments in architecture and social development projects During his period the city of Pune was well developed in several regards A number of neighbourhoods were also established in the region Parvati temple and the first ever permanent bridge over the Mutha River are his notable accomplishments He too created a reservoir in the adjacent town of Katraj to supply pure running water to the city inhabitants This arrangement is well functioning till dateThe defeat of Marathas in the third battle of Panipat was greatly attributed to the poor military skills of Balaji Baji Rao Peshwa This battle also caused his death on 14th January 1761

From reproduction to recreation and beyond sex has a place in every culture around the world And frankly speaking without it there would be no cultures around the world However having said that there are numerous out of the ordinary sexual customs and adulthood rites that are practiced all across the globe This list of crazy sex rituals from ancient times to the present day is going to stump you for sure We all know that Muslim practices are among some of the strictest regarding sexual intercourse and the relationships between men and women However in Iran a young couple who would like to test waters before theyre ready to marry can request a temporary marriage They are allowed to pay for a short ceremony with a written contract dictating the amount of time they will be married Once this is done they can live like man and wife without contradicting Islamic law People living in Arctic region of North America and East Siberia have certain strange practices in common They believe that by exchanging wives they can change the individuals identity and confuse the evil spirits during a catastrophe Also Siberian Eskimos believe that contact with a menstruating woman may be contaminating It may cause a man to drown at sea According to an article in Psychology Today Almost all of the few polyandrous societies practice what anthropologists call fraternal polyandry where a group of brothers share a wife This is the case in the Himalayas where there is little land available for farming and agriculture and families with more than one son would be faced with dividing up their land were each son to start his own family The solution Find one wife for all of their sons In Indonesia they celebrate a holiday called Pon Seven times a year celebrants make a pilgrimage to Java a sacred mountain to perform a ceremony of good fortune through intercourse To receive such blessings participants must spend the night having sex with someone other than their husband or wife However according to tradition their wishes will only come true if they have sex with the same person during all seven celebrations In the Wodaabe tribe of Niger in West Africa men are known to steal each others wives The Wodaabes first marriage is arranged by their parents in infancy However at the yearly Gerewol Festival Wodaabe men wear elaborate makeup and costumes and dance to impress the women and hopefully steal a new wife If the new couple is able to steal away undetected they become socially recognized This was once a common courting practice in northwestern Europe and Colonial America With parental oversight an adolescent boy and girl would stay the night together in the same bed but tightly wrapped in separate blankets sometimes with a bundling board placed between them This setup permitted intimacy but definitely not intercourse In ancient Egypt selfstimulation by a god was considered an act of creation and Atum the god of creation was believed to have created the universe by releasing himself According to Sex and Society even the ebb and flow of the Nile was thought to be caused by Atum s ejaculation This concept spurred the Egyptian pharaohs to ritually release themselves into the Nile to ensure an abundance of water A remote tribe in Papua guinea seems like a case study in the ultimate consequences of the sexual revolution Kids there start having sex at a very young age without any social stigma However while everybody is free to indulge in sexual activities whenever they want premarital mealsharing is a big nono Youre not supposed to go out for dinner together until after you get married The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier the way Western societies have done for the past century Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants but rather by the role that each participant played in the act Zaire is one of the African countries It has a number of backward tribes These tribes are well known for Cicatrices A technical mark remaining from a wound is known as cicatrices The design of this mark extends from the chest to the groin in women In Australia some aborigines worship a spirit of sex called Kananija In this ceremony they conduct a ritual exchange of wives in marriage system They believe it as purifying Some backward societies hold feasts with ceremonial orgies and public copulation The practice of wearing genital jewellery is found in a number of societies particularly among the Turkeys New Guineas tribesmen and natives of new Hebrides are also famous for wearing covers that exaggerate the size of the organ In a number of tribes in Eastern Africa and Peruvian Indians a strange custom prevails They sew and clasp together the labia majora to prevent intercourse before marriage A small opening is left for urination This custom is known as infibulation In Northern Bougainville there is one polygamous society In this society girls and women directly and intentionally expose themselves completely as means of inviting sexual activity A lot of people say that it is very common sight on Solomon Islands New Guinea is well known for its backward tribes of head hunters and cannibals But a few tribes are also know are their negative attitudes towards sex They consider sex as inherently shameful and sinful Most of the women are frigid and find intercourse as painful They do not even know how to love In cold countries like Norway Sweden Denmark Finland Iceland and Scotland there is a practice in which two people of opposite sex share the same bed without engaging in intercourse The custom appears to have originated as a protection from the cold In Ghana a backward tribe requires a widow to cleanse herself of the spirit of her dead husband by spending the night with any stranger In South Africa there is a polygamous society that has a taboo against day light intercourse because otherwise people would behave like dogs They also avoid sex during a storm after a bad dream or after the husband have killed a python crocodile or hyena Practice of man having sexual relations with a boy is called Pederasty It is common in some tribes of Congo and Sudan They punish a womans adultery by killing both the wife and her lover or mutilating the lover In Northeastern Siberia there is a society that requires their daughters to wear a Chastity girdle in the form of a heavy leather trouser to preserve their virginity until marriage In Mozambique there is one agriculture society in which kissing is regarded as revolting because of the contact with another persons saliva ritual copulation is common Taoist and Tantric doctrine propagated specific coital posture and rhythms that can have a healing effect by enabling the body to correct imbalances They believe that some positions enhance circulation of the blood and others strengthen the bones rest the spirit Some positions can increase the production of marrow or adjust the whole system A strange religious practice has been traced as far back as the 5th century BC It was common in India Babylonia Arabia Africa and Greece Some women dedicated themselves to fertility gods and goddesses The women performed sexual act with priests or in some instances with worshippers inside the temple On this basis it is believed that prostitution itself may have started as a sacred right connected with religion and later it became secularized In some societies customs of ceremonial bathing is prescribed as a religious ritual to be performed before intercourse or after menstruation In certain under developed societies ceremonies are performed to celebrate the arrival of puberty and the beginning of adulthood The formal rites usually include teaching of tribal legends and laws Legend is the story handed down from the past especially one that may not be true Sexual practices and responsibilities expected of an adult in the particular society are also taught In a number of backward societies men and women wear magical incantations that are believed to have the power to prevent conception as well as to increase the chances of conception The Guajiro people of Colombia engage in a ceremonial dance in which if a young lady trips a young man while dancing they must get engaged in a union

Independent of the several religions that proclaim the existence of reincarnation paranormal investigators routinely investigate incidents of old souls possibly reappearing in new bodies The following stories and anecdotes contain unexplained evidence that make even the skeptical mind pause a bit In parts of Asia tradition dictates that when a person dies relatives will mark his or her body often using soot with the hope that the soul of the deceased will be reincarnated within the same family The mark is said to become both a birthmark and evidence that the soul has been reborn In 2012 the University of Virginia School of Medicine professor and psychiatrist Jim Tucker and Jurgen Keil respectively an emeritus professor and psychologist from the University of Tasmania at Hobart submitted a paper to The Journal of Scientific Exploration a peerreviewed journal for the study of fringe science from alternative medicine to UFOsTheir study detailed families with children who were born with marks corresponding to their dead relatives In one case K H a boy from Myanmar was noted to have a birthmark on his left arm in the same place where his grandfather s body had been marked His grandfather had died 11 months before KH s birth Many people including family members saw the grandfather s mark made by a neighbour from charcoal from the underside of a potAt just over two years old KH called his grandmother Ma Tin Shwe a name used only by the deceased grandfather The grandmother was called Mother by her children and Daw Lay or Auntie by other children KH called his mother War War Khine just like his deceased grandfather had rather than Ma War When KH s mother was pregnant she dreamed of her father saying I want to live with you The birthmark and the child s names for his loved ones makes his family think the dream has come trueIan Stevenson was a Psychiatry Professor from the University of Virginia who focussed on reincarnation In 1993 he published a paper in the Journal of Scientific Exploration detailing birthmarks and birth defects seemingly linked to past life memories According to his findings the majority of birth defects are thought to be formed by unknown causes In one case a child in Turkey remembered the life of a man who was killed by a shotgun Hospital records talk of a man who had died after six days of injuries caused by a blast to the right side of his skull The boy in question was born with unilateral microtia a malformed ear and hemifacial microsomia which is the underdevelopment of the right side of his face Microtia occurs in roughly one out of 6 000 babies while microsomia is estimated to occur in one out of 3 500 babiesBrian Weiss the chairman of the psychiatry department at Mt Sinai Medical Center in Miami claims to have seen a patient have a spontaneous pastlife regression episode during treatment Even though he is a classically trained psychiatrist and had a regular practice for many years he is now a leader in pastlife regression therapy In his book Messages from the Masters Tapping into the Power of Love Dr Weiss tells the story of a patient named Diane who worked as the Head Nurse at an urgent care center During a pastlife regression session Diane supposedly experienced the life of a young settler in North America during the early years of conflict with Native AmericansShe specifically talked about hiding from a hunting party with her toddler son in a secret compartment while her husband was away She described the baby as having a birthmark shaped like a half moon or curved sword beneath his right shoulder While hiding the son cried out Out of fear for their lives and in an effort to quieten him the woman accidentally smothered the child by covering his mouth Months after the regression experience Diane herself felt attracted to a patient who had been admitted for asthma attacks The patient also felt a connection or familiarity with Diane Diane was shocked when she noticed a crescentshaped birthmark in the same location on the patient Dr Weiss claims to have seen asthma in people whose previous memories involved death by suffocationAt age six Taranjit Singh was living in Alluna Miana village in India The boy had been claiming since the age of two that his real name was Satnam Singh and that he was born in Chakkchela village in Jalandhar roughly 60 kilometers away Taranjit allegedly recalled that he was a student of Class 9 about 15 or 16 years old and that his father s name was Jeet Singh A man on a scooter had collided with Satnam who was on a bike and killed him on September 10 1992Taranjit said that the books he was carrying the day of the accident were soaked in his blood and he d had 30 rupees in his wallet The child was so insistent and the story was so odd yet detailed that his father Ranjit decided to investigate A teacher in Jalandhar told Ranjit that a boy named Satnam Singh really had died in an accident and this boy s father was named Jeet Singh Ranjit reached out to Satnam s family who confirmed the bloodsoaked books and rupee details When Taranjit and members of Satnam s family met face to face Taranjit was able to correctly identify Satnam in photos A forensic scientist Vikram Raj Chauhan read about Taranjit in the newspaper and investigated further He took samples of Satnam s handwriting from an old notebook and compared them to Taranjit s Even though the young boy was not accustomed to writing the handwriting was a nearmatch Dr Chauhan shared his findings with colleagues who also found the samples similarPsychiatry professor Ian Stevenson investigated numerous cases of the phenomenon of xenoglossy which is defined as speaking a real language entirely unknown to the speaker in his ordinary state The definition was coined originally by Charles Richet between 1905 and 1907 Richet was a Nobel Prizewinning doctor whose interests and research spanned many areas including parapsychology Stevenson investigated a 37yearold American woman whom he called TE TE was born and raised in Philadelphia the daughter of immigrant parents who spoke English Polish Yiddish and Russian at home while she was growing upShe studied French while in school Her only exposure to Swedish was a few phrases spoken in a television show about the lives of Swedish Americans However while under eight different regression hypnosis sessions TE became Jensen Jacoby a male Swedish peasant As Jensen TE answered questions posed in the Swedish language with Swedish responses using about 60 words not first spoken by the Swedishspeaking interviewer TE as Jensen was also able to answer the English questions with English answersStevenson gave TE two polygraph tests a word association test and a language aptitude test all of which she answered as though Swedish He also spoke to her husband family members and acquaintances about her aptitude or exposure to Scandinavian languages All agreed that she had none No Scandinavian languages were taught in the schools TE had attended That said TE as Jensen was not fluent The transcript of the session shows that TE as Jensen had a vocabulary of roughly only 100 words and rarely spoke in full sentences In fact there were no complex sentences at all despite Jensen supposedly being an adult male The accent was praised however by Stevenson s consultantsIn his book Your Past Lives And The Healing Process psychiatrist Adrian Finkelstein describes a boy named Robin Hull who often spoke in a language his mother couldn t understand She contacted a professor of Asian languages who identified the language as a dialect spoken specifically in the northern region of Tibet Robin said that he went to school many years ago in a monastery and that is where he learned to speak that language However the truth was that Robin wasn t even of schoolgoing age and had yet to set foot in a classroom The professor investigated further based on Robin s descriptions and eventually settled on a monastery in the Kunlun Mountains that matched the information the young boy was able to relay Robin s story inspired the professor to actually travel to Tibet where he located the monastery Finkelstein specialises in hypnosis and pastlife therapy He has been on the staff of CedarsSinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and was a clinical assistant professor at UCLA He currently has a private practice in Malibu CaliforniaAnother Stevenson investigation revolves around a Burmese girl named Ma Win Tar Ma Win Tar was born in 1962 and at around age three she started referencing a life as a Japanese soldier The soldier had been captured by Burmese villagers and burned alive while tied to a tree The specific life in her account was not identified but as Stevenson points out the circumstances were plausible In 1945 Burmese villagers would capture any of the stragglers from the retreating Japanese Army and they sometimes burned the soldiers aliveMa Win Tar showed traits that were incongruous with her life as a Burmese girl She liked her hair cut short and liked to dress in boyish clothes something her family forbade She refused the spicy foods that marked Burmese cuisine showing a preference for sweet foods and pork She also showed a streak of cruelty including a habit of slapping the faces of her playmates Stevenson said that the Japanese soldiers often slapped Burmese villagers and that the practice is not culturally organic to the area Ma Win Tar resisted her family s Buddhism and even went so far as to consider herself a foreigner She declared visiting members of the Japanese War Graves Commission who had come to her town as our nationals Oddest of all Ma Win Tar had been born with severe birth defects in both hands Her middle and ring fingers on the right hand were webbed and loosely attached to the rest of her hand They were amputated when she was only a few days old Several other fingers were missing or had constriction rings A ring on her left wrist had three separate depressions There was also according to her mother a similar mark on her right wrist that had faded The marks were eerily similar to that of a rope burn something a Japanese soldier who had been burned alive while tied to a tree may have acquired during his ordealIn 1979 Kevin Christenson died at age two A broken leg at 18 months had revealed metastatic cancer Chemotherapy was administered through the right side of his neck to combat the many ailments brought on by the disease including a tumour that caused his left eye to protrude and a nodule above his right ear Twelve years later Kevin s mother who had divorced his father and remarried had another child named Patrick Right from the start there were similarities between the halfbrothers Patrick was born with a birthmark that looked like a small cut on the right side of his neck It was in the same place where Kevin s chemo IV entered his bodyEven stranger there was a nodule on Patrick s scalp in the same place that Kevin s had been Like Kevin Patrick had an issue with his left eye which was eventually diagnosed as corneal leukoma thankfully not a tumour When Patrick began walking he limped even though there was no medical reason for him to do so He claimed to have a memory of going under the knife When his mother asked him where the cut happened on his body Patrick pointed to the area above his right ear the same place that his halfbrother had had a nodule biopsiedAt around age four Patrick started asking about his old house even though he had never lived in any other home He described it as being orange and brown If you re guessing that Kevin had lived in an orange and brown house you get a gold star Researchers investigating the situation actually took Patrick to the old house but the little boy did not identify anything that convinced them that he was actually familiar with the orange and brown home While it is very possible that Patrick was able to pick up on details of his mother s life with her previous husband and deceased son the biological connections are difficult to explainWhen John McConnell was fatally shot six times in 1992 he left behind a daughter named Doreen Doreen gave birth to a son William in 1997 William was diagnosed with pulmonary valve atresia a congenital condition in which a faulty valve directs blood from the heart to the lungs The right ventricle of his heart was also deformed William s condition improved after numerous surgeries and treatment When John was shot one of the bullets entered his back hitting his left lung and the main pulmonary artery in his heart John s injury and William s condition affected the heart and lungs in very similar fashion One day while trying to avoid discipline William told Doreen When you were a little girl and I was your daddy you were bad a lot of times and I never hit you William Similar overly familiar statements followed William asked Doreen about a cat she d had as a little girl and mentioned that he called it Boss Strikingly only John had called the cat that its given name was Boston William was also able to differentiate between Boss and another family cat named Maniac William was able to state the day he was born a Tuesday and the day John died Thursday before he even knew his days of the week without Doreen s prompting He said he d been told on a Tuesday by God that he was ready to come back John had told his daughter that he would always take care of her Whether he did in fact come back to care for her as William the coincidences are an interesting link to her fatherDr Brian Weiss became involved with pastlife regression through his involvement with a patient named Catherine as illustrated in his book Many Lives Many Masters During a regression session Catherine shocked Dr Weiss when she mentioned that she was in an inbetween state and that both Dr Weiss s father and his son were present Catherine went on to say Your father is here and your son who is a small child Your father says you will know him because his name is Avrom and your daughter is named after him Also his death was due to his heart Your son s heart was also important for it was backward like a chicken s He wanted to show you that medicine could only go so far that its scope is very limited Dr Weiss was shocked as his patient knew very little about his personal lifePhotos of his living son Jordan as well as a daughter were on his desk but Catherine seemed to be talking about Adam the doctor s firstborn who had died at only 23 days old Adam had been diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary veinous drainage with an atrial septal defect the pulmonary veins had grown on the wrong side of the heart effectively backward Further Dr Weiss s father went by the name Alvin but his Hebrew name was Avrom just as Catherine had suggested Dr Weiss s daughter Amy was indeed named after her grandfather The revelation convinced Dr Weiss of the veracity of Catherine s regression claims and changed the course of his career

Just a few days back an individual in Moscow turned suicidal in his bid to take a selfie as he seemed to be jumping off a bridge The police was alerted about the suicidal man who turned out to be possessed by a desire to take the most dramatic selfie from dangerous vantage points in the city as reported by RTTwo brothers Abhi 9 and Aman 15 were taking selfies on a bridge in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh when they slipped and fell into the river Their father Sanjay 42 also jumped into the water to save them and drowned to death ETV Madhya Pradesh reported that while Aman was saved by the locals Abhi is still missing even as 36 hours have passedA 21yearold man went a step ahead of others in the quest of taking the most spectacular selfie and decided to climb atop a train to take a selfie All seemed fine as the train was stationary but the individual accidentally touched a high voltage cable above the train and died of a 35000 volt electric shock as reported by The LocalA 17yearold from Russia Xenia Ignatyeva climbed on a 30 ft high railway bridge to click the ultimate selfie She slipped while trying to capture herself on the thrilling location and received a shock when she tried to grab the cables while falling Mirror reported that the gruesome death was one of the first selfie related deaths in RussiaA 21yearold Mexican was on a quest to take a memorable selfie and somehow he thought that taking a selfie with a loaded gun to his head was a good idea The man named Oscar Aguilar ended up pulling the trigger accidentally and shot himself through the head as reported by The TelegraphOscar died on the spot as the attempt at taking a selfie remains his last memory

Finding feathers on your path usually means a message from angels They offer you comfort suggestion or a warning when you need it most It could also be a solution that you are looking for to the trouble or a message to assure you that you are on the right path in dealing with the present situationBirds soar high above in the sky and thus have a higher perspective of the things below Their message to us is to look at things from a higher level and move beyond our limitations Feathers belong to wings that symbolize flight and freedom a spiritual journey or quest Angels can carry out divine will so they are depicted by wings Wings are a spiritual metaphor showing strong heavenly connection representing protection truth love new beginning in life or rebirthIn any feather you will notice a central hollow stalk or a channel running vertically upwards Person s prayers go upwards through the channel to the creator And his blessings come down to you through the same channel Although it is considered that the feather sent by the angel is white it can even come in all kinds of colors each color symbolizing a different meaning or some additional meaningAngels communicate with us in a range of different ways such as coins and feathers appearing in our path Seeing a black crow feather is a good omen It means you are being protected kept safe It means angels are with you during the healing process you are going throughCrow feathers are black as well as grey Grey is a mix of black and white showing a combination of both wisdom and power of attainment It makes you aware of how authentic and flexible you are to attain what you want Black crow feather represents protection against danger It shows your spiritual initiation and growth your spiritual wisdom Black feather means a sign of security They come to guard you and repel negative energy from youWe may be holding onto something as a part of our responsibility that we want to let go off These may be people or situations that drag us down and drain our energy We hold on to them as a part of our responsibility not realizing that it s causing us a problem It s been there for such a long time that we had to adapt to itAt this very moment if we see a crow feather it s a sign that we need to let go of something that is no longer serving us any purpose but draining our energy emotionally and we are getting so overwhelmed by its burden It s time to reflect upon the situation be honest to ourselves and think what we want to get rid ofIt might be a push that we need and crow feather could just be that push When a crow feather lands at your feet it is positive omen meaning your calls have been heard and answered If feather comes to your path magically or surprisingly it means the spirit is supporting or guiding you

A curse is a warning and a wish to inflict adversity upon an enemy using supernatural powers like a mantra a prayer or a magic spell as in Harry Potter It forms part of many cultures around the world from Greek and Roman curses to Celtic curses African American voodoo to the Mediterranean evil eye curse from German hexing to the Indian shraap While Hindu religion is not unique in its repertoire of curses there are enough meritorious instances that deserve recall and mention Here are some of the most famous curses in HinduismIn the childhood stories recounted by my grandmother Durvasa Muni assumed a larger than life persona thanks to his anger and the curses he heaped on the unsuspecting According to Abhingyana ShakuntalamThe most famous of his curses was the one he inflicted on Shakuntala because lost in her daydreams about her lover King Dushyanth she forgot to receive the muni with the respect due to a guest The sage cursed her that because of her inhospitality the person in her dreams would forget her When a distraught Shakuntala pleaded with him the sage reduced the intensity of the curse by suggesting that her lover would remember her once she showed him his ring What follows in the intervening period is the legend of Shakuntala such is the lifechanging power of a mere curseThe Matsya Purana tell a story about the perpetual wars between devas and asuras The devas would always end up beating the asuras Humiliated Shukra Acharya guru of the asuras decided to approach Shiva to obtain the mritasanjeevani stotra or mantra to make asuras invincible He meanwhile asked the asuras to take refuge at the ashram of his father Bhrigu The devas found the absence of Shukra Acharya a most opportune time to attack the asuras once again However Bhrigu himself being away the asuras sought his wifes help Using her powers she rendered Indra immobile Indra in turn appealed to Lord Vishnu to get rid of her Vishnu obliged by severing her head with his sudarshana chakra When Sage Bhrigu saw what had happened to his wife he cursed that Vishnu be born on earth several times and suffer the pains of worldly life Hence Vishnu took birth on Earth in the form of avatarsAccording to the Bhagavata Purana Jaya and Vijaya gatekeepers at Vaikuntha abode of Vishnu one day saw four Kumaras Sanaka Sanandana Sanatana and Sanatkumara had come to meet Vishnu Thinking of them to be mere children not manasaputras of Brahma as they actually were Jaya and Vijaya stopped them at the door Enraged the Kumaras cursed the two that they would have to leave Vaikunta and be born as mere mortals on earth Jaya and Vijaya appealed to Vishnu but he said the curse of the Kumaras could not be reversed Instead he gave Jaya and Vijaya two options either take seven births on earth as a devotee of Vishnu or take three births on earth as his enemy Unable to be away from Vishnu for seven births Jaya and Vijaya chose to be born as his enemy Indeed they were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha Ravana and Kumbhakarna and Dantavakra and ShishupalaSage Valmiki is walking on the banks of river Tamasa ponderign how to start writing the epic Ramayana when he observes two cranes in love Even as he is moved by the tranquility of the moment a wild arrow from a hunters bow comes rushing through the air and strikes at the heart of the male bird Even as the bird dies in agony the female bird filled with sorrow dies of shock Valmiki is taken back by this sudden turn of events Consumed by passion and rage Valmiki curses the hunter But he surprised himself by delivering the curse in lyrical prose which means May you live restless for eternity for you killed an unsuspecting bird in love That was the genesis of the Hindu epic Ramayana After the battle of Kurukshetra Yudhisthira performs the funeral rites for all loved ones including Karna But he is deeply hurt that Kunti did not reveal to him earlier that Karna was his brother The depressed prince in turn cursed that no woman henceforth would be able to keep any secrets A sexist curse but trueKarna halfbrother to pandavas and son of Surya was raised by a low caste charioteer He came to Parashurama after being rejected by Drona due to his perceived caste Karna lied that he was a Brahmin so that Parashurama would accept him as a student and give him knowledge of the powerful Brahmastra weapon One day Parashurama was sleeping with his head resting on the lap of Karna when a honeybee bit Karna In spite of the pain of the insect bite Karna neither flinched nor cried so his gurus sleep would not be disturbed When Parashurama learnt of it he was convinced that only a kshatriya could have borne such pain in silence and thus realised the lie of Karna He therefore cursed his student that his knowledge of Brahmastra would fail him when he would need it the most Indeed it failed him and he died at the hands of Arjuna so that dharma would prevailKrishna sent Arjuna to Indra for training in warfare In devlok the famous apsara Urvashi fell in love with Arjuna However he refused her advances This apsara was aware that Arjuna would have to face agyatwas lead an anonymous life for a year so faking false anger at being rejected she cursed him to become a eunuch for a year In fact that way she helped him maintain his anonymityAnother famous curse from the Mahabharata is the curse cast upon Krishna After the battle of Kurukshetra when Krishna goes to console a distraught Gandhari mother of the 100 Kauravas she flinches in pain She curses Krishna that the way in which he schemed to kill her sons and end her bloodline his bloodline too will never last Krishna not only died an untimely death his family members too killed each other in infightingIndra once assaults a rishis wife Enraged the rishi curses Indra that since he is so obsessed with a womans body he can have his body decorated with a 1000 vaginas However the devas come to beg the sage to lift this curse since Indra is their chief The rishi refuses to lift the curse but agrees that Indra can have a thousand eyes instead For those of you who have wondered why Ravana was fearful of Sita it was because of a curse He was cursed by his daughterinlaw Rambha for raping her that if he ever tried to touch a woman without her consent all his ten heads would explode instantly Poor guy dont you think Pandu who was an excellent archer was once hunting in a forest He disturbs Rishi Kindama and his wife in their intimate moment by imagining them to be deer and shoots them down with his arrows Pandu rushes to the spot to survey his kill when he realizes his folly The sage who is breathing his last curses Pandu saying that if he ever approaches a woman with the thought of sex he shall die then and there The Mahabharat tells us this is actually how Pandu meets his end when he approaches his second wifeOnce the rishis were conducting a yagna The question arose as to who among the Holy Trinity was the most superior Sage Bhrigu went to Brahma and deliberately insulted him to test him However Brahma gor seriously annoyed and vowed to take revenge Bhrigu in turn cursed him saying no one in Kali Yuga would worship Brahma Then he went o Shivas abode However Nandi bull stiopped tha sage from entering saying the divine couple were in their private chambers An enraged Brigu cursed them that Shiva and Parvati would be henceforth be worshipped in their sexual form the linga When the sage visited Vishnus abode he was met with humility and courtesy He then declared Vishnu to be the most superior in the Holy Trinity Now in the above story Vishnu was courteous to Sage Bhrigu even though he had tried to provoke Vishnu by kicking him While Vishnu easily forgave him his consort Lakshmi could not do so She cursed that henceforth she would desert all brahmins Even today it is believed that a brahmin cannot become rich However all is not lost Lakshmi provided a papa vimochana or cure for sin by saying that she will not desert those brahmins who worship her husband sincerelyMahishasura had pleased Brahma by his worship Brahma gave him two boons He cannot be killed by any man god or asura And he can transform into any living form So one day Mahishasura took the form of a girl and entered the ashram of Sage Katyani when he was meditating He went and drank the khir meant to be offered to the gods When sage Katyani asked the girl why she did that the girl turned into Mahishasura Sage Katyani cursed him that since he had duped him in the form of a girl he would also die at the hands of a girl Mahishasura laughed it off saying When no man god or asura can kill me what harm can a lady do However all the Gods assimilated all their powers to give rise to Maa Durga in the ashrama of Sage Katyani who indeed went on to kill Mahishasura Thats why the sixth form of Navadurga is called Katyani the daughter of Sage Katyani

Lady Gaga has just released a powerful music video It depicts the shocking and brutal reality of women being raped on college campusesTill It Happens To You starts with the message The following contains graphic content that may be emotionally unsettling but reflects the reality of what is happening daily on college campuses The video shot in black and white shows four young female students who are all rapedThe video directed by Twilight s Catherine Hardwicke is a deeply unnerving montage of sexual assault storiesA woman is violently attacked by a friend in her dorm room a queer woman wearing a binder is raped in the shared mens restroom two friends are drugged and assaulted after a partyIt ends on a hopeful note though the women eventually get help from their support groups and stand with them in solidarity tall proud survivors rather than cowering victims as Gaga sings Till it happens to you you won t know how it feels Needless to say its difficult to watch but given how commonplace these instances are its very important to seeYou can watch it here but please be warned that it contains graphic content

With the dawn of every new month our expectations grow and we yearn for a better future But the future is said to be an enigma in itself and comprehending the upcoming events in our life is quite a task To end your worries here is the career horoscopes for all the 12 zodiac signs based on astrological principles and rules This will help you plan your future and safeguard you against any adverse happenings in your professional life Aries horoscope predicts that these individuals will have a wonderful year as planetary positions are in your favor Jupiter is in your work sector until September making it easier for you to get more work done have work opportunities and improve your working environment Everything would be moving in a positive directionStay away from dogma fixed ideas and rigid approaches Stand by your convictions with modesty and try to look at things from other s perspective too Respect physical limits and dont overcommit in the late summer and early autumn Resist the urge to sign up for too many events gatherings classes or putting in too much overtime at work Your health and wellbeing are just as importantThe stars will send down good great wind in your sails However in order to reach peace comfort and serenity in your soul you need to think about some pitfalls youll face The horoscope advises to Taurus try to change the everyday pace dropwise For example if you eat the lunch in rush get rid of this habit gradually Do not hesitate to take risks in your professional field for this time period You would be amply rewarded during the yearendMars is in your career sector November through midDecember and you can be more ambitious driven to pursue your goals and make 2016 end with a bang professionally In almost all instances you are well on your way to a career peak which comes in the next two to four years For now you are in a position to achieve many of the goals you set for yourself when Saturn crossed the descendant about two years agoAccording to the horoscope you can expect a year that will bring very specific and new sensations You will realize how you have previously become to be a victim of your various unrealistic visions Your attention is zeroed in on making progress getting and holding on to those things you love most and on not being rushed into making decisions This year you will ask all the right questions and refuse to proceed without solid answers and informationConfirm that you are on their good books Money is a sensitive issue especially if high debts need to be paid Overall Gemini would be at luck regarding the financial matters in 2016 Many pending financial issues will be resolved during the year and money lent to others will be recovered Do not forget to consult an expert before investing in any new projectThere will be plenty of surprises and opportunities to grow and advance in the world Raise some eyebrows and make some new allies for your favorite causes This will keep the springtime exciting and interesting Mars infuses you with more energy than you are accustomed to Try to position yourself away from the action and where other people are involved try to work alone on your projects as much as possible This is the time when finance might in a lot of cases take a backseat to statusYou spend little time at home you re always on the move but it s not bad because excursions help you widen the horizons of your knowledge Main achievements target home family and immovable properties You might invest renovate or move into a more pleasant bigger more valuable home You can find that you ask yourself some hard questions about how satisfying you find your work to be and how much youre using your talents or notYou may have been struggling over the past two to three years either having too much work or not enough work This period is coming to a close and your efforts will start to pay off for you during the coming threeyear period However creativity generosity and optimism go a long way toward making the most of this opportune cycleMercury is retrograde in an Earth Sign so give the situation time to show its true colors Ask questions in 2016 and dont settle for halfanswers Youll be doing new things possibly studying something new that can expand your career and your efforts will be appreciated The contacts you re making now are likely to become key elements in a network which supports your longterm successThis would be a good time to consolidate your standing in the professional arena You would be able to establish new connections in your work place Luck and fortune are on your side You re energetic and have authority focus on objectives better You re after promotions honors and financial gain but are also attracted by travel exploration adventure Foreign countries and foreigners are favorable to you Your cultural and intellectual horizons widenHowever there will be road blocks in your way during the year and you will need to mold your plans as the times and needs change May could hold a surprise or two so put your personal life on the back burner and prepare to work diligently on your career during the next month or two Nothing is what it seems to be and you know it Virgo2016 is your lucky year Libra in more ways than one Your tact and social skills will be in high demand and this will bring great satisfaction and happiness Launch projects or ventures that have been on the shelf for quite some time Get to the bottom of things before you get into cooperative deals Collaborations are still important for Librans in 2016Matters of practical concern should run smoothly giving you a chance to try some innovative approaches and let your individuality shine through Personal fulfillment can come in many areas of your life supporting your need to be more freely expressive Take it easy if something goes wrong refrain from pulling your hair or tearing your shirt Everything will be in a state of harmony and what will be required from you is a sober mind and goodwillDo not be complacent instead keep climbing against the wind Favor would be by your side when there is hard work involved By becoming aware of the way you focus and direct your thoughts you ll experience a greater sense of working in harmony with your life energies The students who have been wanting to go abroad for their further education will find that all of the problems simply disappearYour career horoscope advises you to be courageous enough to trust your own inner compass and take the actions you have been planning for some time already This would be the best time for those in the communications or media industry and your skills in communication will help to find you new people and contacts that would be inspiring to you and help you to care more about your chosen fieldYou will find a wide array of avenues for development and work and you will have the required energy to allow you to sustain the routine You will also be facing expansion as well regardless of if you are in business or in the service This is a great year for coming up with creative new ideas that can lead to business success If you are working in media PR advertising sales technology software engineering this is going to be a particularly good year for youMake sure to keep plugging on hard during the starting months that will allow you to later enjoy the rewards that you earned You need to learn to insulate yourself from the stress of strain of work for better results in your professional and personal life You would learn some lessons the hard way this year in this area of your lifeThis is a good time to go for a higher career position or for important projects in the workplace Many situations that emerge in 2016 can remain supportive for a long time In fact this can be an exceptional period of prosperity especially if you re utilizing your resources effectively The year would open up with a steady phase in finances Your income sources of earning would be better more vibrant as you move aheadBe careful about a change in your mentality as 2016 begins This change in thinking could spoil matters to some extent Focus on your peace of mind in whatever situation you are Whether you like or dislike the current situation just observe it as it is Your career horoscope 2016 advises you not to get carried away by your liking or disliking The most critical times are to be in March May and OctoberMay is fairly straight forward for you with little in the way of complications A nice run of helpful eclipses and transits culminates with a very generous lucky streak later in the year In this year you would be able to continue with the works or ventures that you had started last year This would be a very favorable period for you to start new projects and initiate new tasks in your work placeCareer progress this year is steady and can gradually lead to big success You will be more confident and diplomatic in your career and professional dealings Do not ignore the legal aspects while executing your projects Previous social connections will help you complete pending projects Keep working putting all your might that the end of the year shall see in your full light Some legal tangles are forecast for the yearend beware2016 does present some challenges but will still be a better year than 2015 though much less eventful You won t go through a similar testing and draining Saturn experience as you did last year for at least another seven years You would experience some expansion in your career plans Do not lose time and hope when things go wrong Avoid wrong conclusions and keep moving forward Clarity and a right perspective would be the keywordsYou are advised to be cautious around the middle of the year Problems loom around Listen to you inner conscience and do not heed to advise of others around you for this period If you keep your focus on your job and allow good things to happen for you in your personal life the status quo will continue There will be periods of amazing success but be careful you dont get overconfident and lose the gains you made

A plant in our home or a tree in our backyard not only creates a pleasant environment but also offers a relaxing view Hence greenery has a special role to play in Vastu Shastra the art of optimising spaces Various shastras like the Garud Puran Rup Mandal and others emphasise on the importance of plants and trees in our livesA healthy plant not only affects us physically but emotionally too While designing ones garden we can also use Vastu guidelines to make life easy and prosperousVastu Shastra provides the location of plants and trees as per their appearance and properties Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines on all aspects of house designing including the planting of auspicious trees and plants around the house One enters the house compound through the main gate If space permits it people like to have a small garden in the front as well as at the backSome of the auspicious trees according to Vastu are listed in the following slides One can plant them as per ones convenienceThe Peepul tree is considered the most auspicious tree and is also known as the Aswatha tree Scientists have found that oxygen is produced in large amounts by the leaves of this tree especially under the branches probably due to the thick foliage Hence it is considered very healthy to circumambulate the tree in the mornings It is also prohibited to cut this tree yet one should not plant it too close to ones house since the tree has farspreading roots which can affect the foundation of the building in due course of timeThis tree has great medicinal value its extract even being used in pesticides Its twigs are used to brush teeth while its oil is used in physiotherapy Since neem leaves are very bitter a mixture of neem leaves tender green mango and jaggery are eaten on Ugadi or the New Year in South India as a symbolic gesture so that one is prepared to face the sweet as well as the sour and bitter experiences of the coming year with equanimity Therefore this is a good tree to have in the garden of a house gardenMost parts of the mango tree have medicinal value Its leaves are used as a pesticide and its twigs are used for brushing teeth Its leaves are also used for puja purposes It is considered very auspicious if the dead are cremated using firewood from the mango tree Then of course the mango fruit is the king among fruits and very tasty Raw mangoes are used for making pickles as well as vegetables Mango trees also have a very long life and can survive for as many as 400500 years Obviously this is also a very useful tree to have in your gardenLike the mango tree the jackfruit tree also produces very tasty and seasonal fruits in large numbers The yellow juicy kernels inside the jackfruit are used to make different types of sweets and halvas The raw fruit kernels are cut into strips and made into tasty jackfruit chips a speciality of Kerala The jackfruits seeds are also nutritious and are used like a vegetable in south India The beautiful yellowcoloured wood from this tree is used to make furniture doors windows etc Its leaves are considered auspicious and are used for pujaThe tender saplings of the banana tree are used for decorating the doors of houses and pandals during functions and festivals as they are symbols of prosperity and wealth Almost every part of the plant has some sort of economic or medicinal use The banana fruit is the best source for instant energy and are rich in potassium Raw bananas are cooked and eaten like a vegetable The skin of the fruit is used in dyeing A lot of illnesses can be treated with concoctions made from the roots stem flowers and leaves of the tree So this is a musthave in your gardenEvery part of this tree is useful The tender coconut water is a very healthy cool lowfat drink The coconut flesh is used in South Indian cooking in large amounts and gives it a distinctive flavour The oil extracted from coconut is used in cooking as well as a hair oil Coir is a very useful byproduct which is used in making mats carpets etc The leaves of the coconut tree are weaved and used as roofing for huts by the poor Its dry leaves are also used as firewood Due to its usefulness it is considered a sacred tree Hence it is considered a must in every gardenSandalwood is very expensive as it is used to make exquisite handicrafts and its oil is very fragrant Sandalwood paste when applied on the forehead cools the head Sandalwood is also used to make incencesticks It is very rare to find sandalwood trees and hence there have been so many instances of robbers cutting down trees in the middle of the night if found in any house compound If you like this fragrant tree it is a good idea to try and grow one but you may need to secure itWhere should be trees be planted according to Vastu Let s discover this in further slides Small shrubs may be planted on the East or North sides but no trees should be planted in the NorthEast corner as they block the useful morning sunraysLike the coconut can be planted in the SouthWest and West sides one should not be too close to a building as they would block the sunlight completely A tree should be planted such that its shadow does not fall on the house at least between 9 AM to 3 PMLike the Peepal the Banyan should not be located too near the house as their roots can damage the foundation and compound wall Also large trees absorb most of the sunlight and so these positive rays will not be received by the buildingGood trees that can be planted in a house compound are useful trees like the coconut neem betel sandalwood lemon pineapple bilva almond jackfruit pomegranate mango amla and kathaIf a tree must be cut or removed one should first express regret to the tree then it must be removed from its rooting A new tree should also be planted in its place within the next three months This is a way of conserving natureBesides the trees here are the plants we should always plant in our house gardenThe holy Basil is also known as the tulasi plant which is always good to grow on ones property A tulasi should also be located on the North NorthEast or East sides of the house or in front of the house Tulasi is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicines as it purifies the blood and improves the digestive system It is believed to be useful in treating many types of diseases Its probably for this reason that it is considered a sacred plant and used in daily worshipIn general plants with sweetsmelling flowers like jasmine red lotus and blue lotus are good for keeping in the house compound as they give out a pleasant perfume and can also be used in daily worshipThorny plants should not be planted near the house Cactus should not be planted at all Thorny plants other than rose give off a negative energy Ideally all thorny plants should be pulled up and destroyed The reason could be that the thorns can hurt you when you brush past themCreepers or other plants should not be grown using the building or compound wall as a support as their clingers will slowly creep into tiny cracks in the walls and gradually widen them as they grow causing damage and seeepage of water through the walls Creepers should only be grown in a garden and they should have their own independent supports A creeper like a moneyplant can be grown within the house but should not be grown outside using a tree for supportFlower pots should not be kept on the compound wall in the North East or NorthEast as they will block the useful morning sunlight coming in from these directions Flower pots and decorative plants can be placed on the ground in these directions but they should not grow taller than 3 feet Lawns should be in the East or North A small waterfall of three to four feet or a water body can be constructed in the East or the North leaving the NorthEast corner If there is a swimming pool in the garden it should be in the North or NorthEast direction so that the people using the pool benefit from the sun rays and the water also gets purified by the UV rays of the sunlight

As a kid I revelled in the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle pouring over literature that told of ghost ships of planes disappearing forever of instruments going haywire In fact it was Disney s cartoon series which had episodes dedicated to this mystery As an adult I tried many times to read up on the subject In fact I watched many hours of videos to find out what the reality was Besides Bermuda most of the 700plus islands that make up the Bahamas also fall within the Triangle Were researchers lucky to be alive What s the truth What makes up the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle Let s discuss Much that defies the logic of our everyday lives seems to get attributed to extraterrestrial beings A ship disappears so it must be our friends from Andromeda who have travelled across space and time to steal our secrets of floatation or in atmosphere flight Yes that s what they need in Andromeda a Cessna and a sailboat Flight 19 in which 5 Navy bombers seemingly disappeared midflight on December 5 1945 has been attributed to UFOsPiracy occurs in all seas around the globe The US Department of State cautions against the possibility of encountering vessels engaged in illicit activities near the Bahamas But if you had aspirations to be a pirate wouldn t you choose a place where people will cast the blame for normally suspicious acts on methane UFOs and magnetic anomalies That s how Bermuda Triangle became a rogue s paradiseThe latest culprit in the Bermuda Triangle is methane a natural gas that is less dense than water So if you happen to be sailing through a patch of ocean when a massive methane effluvium bubbles up from the deep then yes your boat could in fact sink Gas hydrates exist in deep highpressure environments found in all the world s oceans including parts of the Bermuda Triangle But there are no recorded instances that such an incident has actually occurredYou re happily sailing in a boat when wham a giant wave pops up next to your boat and sinks it In the Bermuda Triangle it does happen like that So this may be the most credible explanation for the mysterious disappearances occurring in the TriangleIf you ve ever watched a TV show on the Bermuda Triangle then you ve heard the recordings of pilots noting that their instrumentation has gone haywireOtherwise magnetic variations are normal and most pilots sailors and computers with GPS know this and compensate compass bearings to adjust to True North But even if a compass goes haywire does that mean it s an unexplained mystery Magnetic anomalies happen even locally all over the world But thousands and thousands of planes sailboats motor yachts and other waterbound vessels ply these waters each year and seem to exit unscathedAll over the world human blunders result in the loss of billions of dollars worth of stuff Could this also be happening in the Bermuda Triangle Of course Consider the pirates If you make a catastrophic mistake that results in the loss of your boat or plane you don t want to accept the blame do you So what better place to have a calamitous loss of property than the mysterious TriangleThis is my personal favourite theory Many Atlantis people believe Bimini Road leads to that perfectly mysterious and undiscovered utopia known as Atlantis Something like an Atlantis would be hard to remain hidden from our probing world sequestered from detection at the bottom of the sea Right